Let’s get the obvious out of the way first:

I’m holding myself accountable via this blog, but so far I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about Operation (Mostly) Vegan in real life. That’s a self-defense mechanism more than anything else; I really don’t want to field questions about where I’m getting my protein, whether I’m going to become a PETA groupie, whether it’s okay to eat meat in my presence, etc., etc., ad infinitum. After 15 years of being a vegetarian prior to my decision to start eating meat again last summer, I’ve been there, done that, collected the commemorative pin. Although, for the record: (a) as my now-rather-curvy hips suggest, consuming sufficient protein/calories has not been a problem for me for quite some time; (b) with all due respect to the non-extremist animal rights and environmentalist crowd, love for my bovine brethren simply is not what’s motivating me; and (c) eat whatever the heck you want – indeed, if we we’re dating, I’d probably cook a meat-based meal for you at some point if that’s your preference.
So two weeks into it, here are some of my experiences and thoughts so far:
* I need to start off by acknowledging that trying to give up alcohol at the same time I gave up all meat, dairy, and egg products was a bit too ambitious. It’s NHL playoff season and prime concert/festival time, and I simply enjoy relaxing at these events more when I have a drink in hand. I need to mull over a more reasonable goal for myself (a 2 or 3 drink maximum, perhaps?) other than total abstinence.
* Losing weight isn’t my only, or even my primary goal, with Operation (Mostly) Vegan, but as long as I don’t start losing my curves, I wouldn’t mind if it proved to be one result. In that regard, I’m going to need to remember that an unnecessary late-night 1,000+ calories splurge of BBQ almonds or the organic vegan equivalent of Nutella (Justin’s Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter
, I’m sorry/you’re welcome) has virtually the same fitness-hindering effects as an extra 1,000+ calories of hot wings. Baby steps…
* The first time I substituted soy chicken for regular chicken, coconut milk ice cream sandwiches for the regular dairy kind, etc., my taste buds were cranky. But by only the second or third time, I had fully adjusted, and the vegan equivalents now actually taste good to me! This bodes well for the long-term viability of a vegan diet plan.
* Vanilla flavored coconut and almond milk have tasted great since the beginning. I just bring my Starbucks home with me to add the cream or I ask for soy milk there. The extra effort involved is negligible but constitutes another way to reaffirm to myself each day that I’m trying to be healthier.

Approx. one day’s worth of Starbucks consumption
* That said, I’ve had two or three mess-ups. I had a muffin, which I later realized was made with eggs. I bought a protein bar, and halfway through realized that the whey protein on the ingredients label signifies dairy – and I finished it anyway. And I had a chickpea salad that apparently was sweetened with honey… although for the two dozen times I got stung when I was a kid, I’m tempted to say screw bees – honey might ultimately fall in the same category as my leather jacket.

The Honey Nut Cheerios bee is perhaps the only one which fails to incite my terror/rage
* I swear that my skin looks better and I have more energy. But I’ll concede that this could be coincidental and psychosomatic, respectively, so I’ll wait another few weeks to determine whether the change in diet is truly having such positive effects.
In my continuing endeavor to exercise consistently, I signed up for a half marathon in August! I’m hoping that this will motivate me to start exercising consistently, rather than continuing this 3-days-on, 7-days-off cycle I’ve been trapped in for months. I feel so happy and confident whenever I work out and eat healthily, which is why, as I have mentioned before, it is so perplexing that I find it so easy to revert back to lazy/self-destructive habits.
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